The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-01-28
HOW PUBLIC OPINION
CHANGES.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Is giving plaCo
to broader ideas, and public sentiment
is all the while becoming more toler-
ant. It is within the memory of many
of our citizens when public opinion
would not allow the open discussion
of the wrongs Of slavery. Some of the
best men in this country were treated
with mob violence for presumjng to
address the people on the wrongs of
the negro; they encountered all sorts
of indignities in their attempts to gain
hearing before the public. News
papers advocating the emancipation of
the slaves were denied circulation
through the mails; they were classed
by Postmaster General Kendell as in
cendiary publications, and post
masters were allowed to withhold them
from subscribers. Even in this town
in 1910, then known as Southport, a
lecturer was advertised to speak on the
subject Of slavery in the log school
house on Main street. One of our then
leading citizens declared il the lecturer
came and attempted to speak he should
be elected from the school house, that
being the only place in which public
meetings were held. The lecturer did
not come, 80 any disturbance was avoid
ed. But few persons then realized how
near at hand was the time when there
would be a great revolution of public
sentiment throughout the Northern
states.
The change of public opinion on the
subject of woman suffrage has not
been so radical but it has made mark
ed progress. One aspect of this reform
movement is especially noticeable
Only few years ago the newspaper
press of the country, with some excep-
tions, was in the practice of speaking
disparagingly of the woman sufflagists,
and perpetrating silly witticisms about
the rights of women. The newspapers
have very generally altered their tone.
Those that do not speak of female suf-
frage approvingly refrain from at
tempts to ridicule, and treat the ques-
ton with fairness. The changed atti-
tude of the press is evidence that the
movement for woman's rights is gain
ing favor with the male population of
the country. At the rate of progress
of the women in the securement of
legislation in different states the past
few years, the end for which they seek
will ere long be reached, at least to the
extent they desire.
The beginning of the change in pub
lie opinion in respect to the use of in
toxicating liquors was further back
than the anti-slavery and the woman
suffrage movements. The first at
tempts to restrain the traffic in spirit
Gus liquors were met with nearly the
same violent resistance as were the ef-
forts to obtain peaceable hearing in
respect to the wrongs of slavery.
Temperance lecturers were treated
with all sorts of indignities. The sign
ers of the temperance pledge during
early years were ignored in society,
adjudged unfit to hold Office and dis.
carded by both political parties. Their
property was often destroyed or in
jured, and temperance meetings broken
up. Ministers and churches were hos
tile to temperance organizations, and
used their influence against them. It
is historical fact that in the year
1880, in tolerably well settled county
in central New York Cortland coun-
ty), having about forty evangelical
clergymen, there was but one who IA.
vored the organization of temperance
societies. No enterprise was under
taken either great or small: no public,
social or family gathering took place,
and no hospitality was satisfactory
without alcoholic stimulants. The